After Three Decades the ‘Coming to America’ Sequel is Actually Happening

It’s happening! It’s really happening! It has been announced that the Coming to America sequel is moving forward with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris set to write the script and Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine on board to direct.

According to Variety, fans of the 1988 film will be in for a treat after Paramount Pictures announced that it will be moving forward on a sequel for the pop culture classic that starred Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Barris is slated to rewrite the script from a screenplay by original writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield. Kevin Misher, whose credits include the 2013 remake of Carrie, Public Enemies, and The Scorpion King, will produce the film. It is reported that Murphy will be involved with development of the sequel, although there is no deal in place for him to star.

The original film, directed by John Landis, follows a charming, wealthy African Prince (Murphy) who travels to New York City with his trusty sidekick (Hall) to escape an arranged marriage and find true love. The prince finds himself working at a fast food chain and falls in love with boss’s daughter. Along with Murphy and Hall, the film was studded with stars including John Amos, Shari Headley, Samuel L. Jackson, Frankie Faison, Cube Gooding Jr., and James Earl Jones. The film grossed nearly $300 million at the box office worldwide.

Earlier this year, Eddie Murphy sparked rumors of the forthcoming sequel after his Twitter account tweeted a photo of Vanessa Bell Calloway in the iconic gold dress with the simple caption, “Coming to America sequel?”

However, the rumors were shut down after Murphy’s daughter took to Instagram to end the talk of a part two. Bria Murphy uploaded a screengrab of a conversation she had with her father, questioning him about the cryptic tweet. In the conversation, it is clear that Murphy has no idea he had a Twitter –ultimately ending the rumors.